Catching Up

It’s the last of my days off. I'm off to Ottawa again tomorrow afternoon. I'll stay overnight in Ottawa and return again to Mimico around dinner time on Saturday. The assignment on which I’m currently training has two days off one week and four off the next. It’s an odd sort of arrangement. I believe most VIA jobs work that way. Some have four days off every week. Others have only two off. Few jobs here have weekends off. I suppose Saturday and Sunday are prime travel days.

During my last few years at CN, I enjoyed weekends free. Yes, I did spend a year on the spareboard with no scheduled time off, but even then, I had a few weekends to myself. On the GO trains, I always had weekends off. Really, Ms J, those GO jobs were the best I ever had at CN. I worked split shifts and had time off during the day. I worked four hours, then came home for a nap! I doubt things will ever be like that at VIA. So far, all my trips here have been eight hours on duty, give or take a few minutes.

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I received Meagan’s report card in the mail the other day. It was brilliant! She scored lowest in Science with a 72%. The other subjects – Math, Civics, and English were all 80’s and 90’s. Included in the package was a silver edged certificate declaring Meagan Pringle an “Honours” student having achieved an overall average of 83.5%.

I phoned her to offer congratulations and to tell her again how proud I am of her. I wish so much she’d come home to me and return to school at LCI in September. She told me she’s happy with RJ and doing well. RJ is still working and I guess they’re paying their rent on time.

“Don’t worry, Dad,” she told me. “I’m fine, really. And I’ll be going back to school here in Georgetown. I promise.”

I’m glad she’s happy, Ms Journal. And I believe she’ll return to school. I just wish she’d live here with me. I miss my daughter.

I miss my son, too. But that's a story for another day.

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